1)  128th General Assembly:  The Ohio House will hold session on Wednesday, January 20, 2010.  Both the House and Senate will hold committee meetings this week, but the House and Senate Education Committees are not scheduled to meet.

*Representative Matt Dolan (98th House District) resigned from the Ohio House on January 13, 2010.

*The House approved HJR12 (S. Williams) by a vote of 85 to 13.  HJR12 places on the May 4, 2010 primary ballot the re-authorization and expansion of the Third Frontier Initiative.  This  initiative will provide $950 million from the sale of general obligation bonds over the next five years to support research and development in Ohio.

Hearings on HJR12 in the Senate will begin this week.

2)  This Week at the Statehouse

*The Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, chaired by Senator Carey, will meet on January 19, 2010 at 11:00 AM and January 20, 2010 at 9:30 AM in the Senate Finance Hearing Room.  The committee will hear testimony on HJR12 (S. Williams) (pending referral), to permit the issuance of general revenue bonds to support the Third Frontier Initiative.

*The House Finance and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Representative Sykes, will meet on January 19, 2010 at 12:30 PM in hearing room 313. The committee will hear testimony on HB367 (Yates) the Ohio Arts Council, which would require the Ohio Arts Council to receive one per cent of biennial general revenue fund appropriations.

*The House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Representative Letson, will meet on January 19, 2010 at 1:00 PM in hearing room 121.

The committee will hear testimony on the following bills:

-HB401 (Lundy) Property tax exemption, which would authorize property tax exemptions for municipally owned facilities housing independent professional minor league baseball teams.

-HB285 (Bacon) Sales Tax Exemptions, which would provide a three-day period in August and in December each year during which sales of clothing, footwear, school supplies, personal computers /computer-related items and sporting equipment would be exempted from sales/use taxes.

-HB400 (Adams) Personal Income Tax, which would phase-out the personal income tax over ten years.

*The House Elections and Ethics Committee, chaired by Representative Stewart, will meet on January 20, 2010 at 10:00 AM and on January 21, 2010 at 11:00 AM in hearing room 122.  The committee will consider

SB8 (Seitz) election clarifications.

*The Senate Ways and Means and Economic Development Committee, chaired by Senator Gibbs, will meet on January 20, 2010 at 10:15 AM in the North Hearing Room.  The committee will hear testimony on SB182 (Schaffer) Veterans-Property Taxes.  This bill would exempt from property taxation the primary residences of military veterans who are 100 percent disabled from a service-connected disability.

3) School Funding Advisory Council:  The School Funding Advisory Council, chaired by Superintendent of Public Instruction Deborah Delisle, will meet on January 19, 2010 at 1:00 PM at Battelle For Kids, 1160 Dublin Road. The meeting will include a discussion of subcommittees and a presentation on education finance and the evidence-based model. For information please contact Lee Auna Taylor at LeeAuna.Taylor@ode.state.oh.us.

4)  Quality Counts 2010:  Editorial Projects in Education (EPE), supported by the Pew Center on the States, released on January 14, 2010 "Quality Counts 2010", an annual report card for public education based on 88 indicators of state education policies and outcomes.

The report consists of the following parts, and is available online for free until January 21, 2010 at

http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2010/01/14/index.html:

*The annual update of national and state grades in key areas of performance and policy including the Chance-for-Success Index; the teaching profession; standards, assessments, and accountability; and school finance.

*State Highlight Reports, featuring state-specific findings and comprehensive state report cards.

*The EPE Research Center's new Math Progress Index, which provides an in-depth state-by-state analysis of math performance, improvement, and opportunities.

*The Chance-for-Success Index, which grades the nation and states on

13 indicators capturing the critical role that education plays as a person moves from childhood, through the K-12 system, and into college and the workforce.

*Special Features, such as articles about common standards, accountability, making progress in mathematics, teaching the common core curriculum, college and workplace readiness, and more.

The following are highlights from the report:

*Quality Counts: The 2010 report follows the modular approach started last year, in which only certain categories are updated for the annual report. In 2010, for example, updated grades are assigned to states in four of six indicator categories: the teaching profession; standards, assessments, and accountability; school finance; and the Chance-for-Success Index. The other two categories, K-12 Achievement

(2008) and Transitions and Alignment (2009), will be updated in Quality Counts 2011. The report also notes that the school finance and Chance-for-Success grades are based on indicators that lag, and so do not reflect the impact, as yet, of the recession.

Overall the nation earned a C based on all indicators. Maryland received the top score of B plus followed by Massachusetts (B), New York (B), Virginia (B minus), and Ohio (B minus). The following is a summary of the grades by category:

-Standards, Assessments, and Accountability:  Overall the nation earned an B.  20 states received an A or A-minus, and Ohio received an A (97.2).

The report states, "In the area of curriculum, this year's survey finds that states, in general, are working to provide resources that can complement their content standards in core academic areas, and to help special student populations, including English-language learners and special education students."

-School Finance: State grades in this category are based on eight measures of equity and spending. The nation earned an overall C, which is a decline from last year. Ohio received a C plus, which is an average of a "B" for equity, and a "D plus" for spending. Ohio's per pupil spending at $10,378 is lower than the national average of $10,557, and, according to the report, only 35.8 percent of students in Ohio attend districts in which the per pupil expenditure is at or above the U.S. average for 2007.

The report notes, "Half the states score in the C-plus to C-minus range; Wyoming rises to the top, with an A-minus, and New Jersey and Rhode Island follow, each with a B-plus. Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Tennessee, and Utah each receive a D. But our analysis finds that no state ranks at either the top or at the bottom on both equity and spending, the two aspects of school finance examined."

-Teaching Profession: State grades in this category are based on 44 indicators that assess state teacher quality, incentives, recruitment, retention, etc. The nation received an overall C. South Carolina earned the only A, and Alaska and Oregon ranked last, each with an F. Ohio received a C plus.

According to the report, "Teacher compensation remains subpar nationally when weighed against workers in comparable occupations, according to an EPE Research Center analysis. When benchmarked against the wages of similar workers in the same state, teachers earn

89 cents for every dollar earned by comparable employees, the analysis found. Few states are aggressively pursuing alternative strategies for compensating effective teachers."

-Chance for Success Index:  This index provides information about the role that education plays throughout an individual's life (early childhood, K-12, college, workplace). Massachusetts earned an A, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New Jersey earned grades of A-minus.

The nation overall earned a C. Ohio received a C plus, which is the average of three scores for Early foundations (B), school years (C+), and adult outcomes (C+).

*Special Topic:  Each year "Quality Counts" also focuses on a special topic. This year's special topic on common academic standards, "Quality Counts 2010: Fresh Course, Swift Current-Momentum and Challenges in the New Surge Toward Common Standards", provides additional information about the following:

-background information about the history of efforts to develop common academic content standards for the nation; -an update of the current effort called the Common Core State Standards Initiative, led by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association; and -an analysis of the challenges that a common core presents for educators, administrators, and state policy leaders.

According to a fifty-state survey conducted by EPE Research Center, all states have adopted academic content standards in English/language arts, mathematics, and science.  Most states have consulted or compared their academic content standards with other states and national organizations, but fewer states have compared their standards to international standards. Policy makers in some states have raised concerns about the lack of stakeholder input and support for the Common Core initiative; the misalignment between state expectations and the common standards; the insufficient quality, content, or rigor of common standards; and implications for testing and accountability.

*Math Progress Index:  An additional report on mathematics is also included in "Quality Counts" this year. A newly created Math Progress Index measures the levels of mathematics performance, trajectories of change over time, poverty-based disparities, and student access to opportunities that promote greater learning and success.  The index is based on a 100 point scale and comprises twelve indicators from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and Advanced Placement testing in mathematics from the College Board.  Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire came in with the highest scores on this new index.  According to the report, states in which students have access to more experienced math teachers show smaller achievement gaps in math among groups of students.  Ohio received a grade of 64.2, slightly below the U.S. average of 64.7.

5) State Board of Education: The State Board of Education, Debbie Cain president, met on January 11-12, 2010 at the Ohio School for the Deaf, 500 Morse Road, Columbus, Ohio.

MEETING ON JANUARY 11, 2010

The State Board of Education's Executive Committee, chaired by Debbie Cain, discussed the following items:

*Academic Distress Commission for Youngstown: Superintendent of Public Instruction, Deborah Delisle, outlined the process to establish an Academic Distress Commission for Youngstown City Schools. Ohio Revised Code Section 3302.10 (2007) requires that an academic distress commission be established for each school district that has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency pursuant to section 3302.03 of the Revised Code, and has failed to make adequate yearly progress for four or more consecutive school years. Academic distress commissions consist of five voting members, three appointed by the superintendent of public instruction and two appointed by the president of the district board of education. Within 120 days after the first meeting of an academic distress commission, the commission must adopt an academic recovery plan to improve academic performance in the school district. This plan will be reviewed by the State Board's executive committee.

*Race to the Top: Superintendent Deborah Delisle provided the Board with an update on Ohio's Race to the Top (RttT) application due January 19, 2010.  A total of 266 traditional public school districts and 213 community schools submitted complete RttT Memorandums of Understanding to participate in Ohio's RttT application.  Most city school districts, including Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and several rural school districts in southeast Ohio have agreed to participate. In total, more than 800,000 students are enrolled in these schools, including more than 700,000 economically disadvantaged students.

Ohio is eligible for up to $400 million of RttT.  If Ohio's application is funded, school districts and schools that have signed memorandums of understanding will have 60 days to approve a workplan with specific measures of success. Other school districts in Ohio will still benefit from the RttT initiatives at the statewide level through the implementation of the statewide initiatives in the areas of teacher preparation and compensation; intervention in low performing schools; rigorous academic standards; longitudinal data systems, and STEM. State Board members signed a letter of support for Ohio's effort during the Board's business meeting on January 12, 2010.

An overview of Ohio's RttT application is available online at http://www.education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.
aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=11&ContentID=78973.

*Community Schools Appeals Committee:  Kim Hall, interim Chief Legal Counsel, discussed the formation of an ad hoc committee to hear informal appeals from community schools. The appeals committee is expected to hear appeals from the Virtual Schoolhouse regarding over payments, and Goal Digital Academy regarding its revised charter agreement. The appeals hearings will take place in February and March.  Board vice-president Ann Womer Benjamin will serve as chair.

NEW BOARD MEMBERS TAKE OATH OF OFFICE

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Moyer administered the oath of office to two new Board members, Juanita Sanchez and Kathy Leavenworth. Ms. Sanchez from Fremont, and Ms. Leavenworth from Chagrin Falls, were appointed in December 2009 by the Governor Strickland to fill two vacated at-large seats on the Board.

ACHIEVEMENT COMMITTEE

-Procedural Safeguards:  The Achievement Committee, chaired by Mike Collins, discussed and approved a resolution of intent to amend Rule 3301-51-05, Procedural Safeguards.  The amendment aligns Ohio's rules for children with disabilities with changes in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act.

-Revise Operating Standards ORC Rule 3301-35: Janet Schilk, Director of the Office of Educational Reform, presented information about the proposed revisions of "Operating Standards for Ohio's Schools".

According to ORC Section 3301.07 the State Board of Education is authorized to "formulate and prescribe minimum standards to be applied to all elementary and secondary schools in this state for the purpose of requiring a general education of high quality".  These standards, referred to as "Operating Standards for Ohio's Schools"

establish guidelines and rules for school districts to use in supporting high achievement for students. For example, Operating Standards include district requirements for course offerings, assessments, strategic planning, evaluation, graduation, etc.

(Community schools are not required to comply with Operating

Standards.)

The changes for Operating Standards are required to align with the changes in law that resulted from the passage of Am. Sub. HB1, the

FY10-11 state budget.  HB1 includes the new evidence-based model for funding schools, and changes that affect governance, organization, administration, staffing, and supervision of school districts, and organizational units.

The process to revise the Operating Standards will consist of  two

phases:  Phase 1 will include revisions that can be made immediately, such as changing a word or sentence, adding a definition, adding detail, clarifying statements, etc. to conform with the newly adopted laws and CORE graduation requirements.  The State Board will review and begin the process to make these changes in February, with an intent to adopt in March, and adoption in July 2010.

Phase 2 will include changes that result from the development and implementation of other new rules, such as school district and school spending and reporting rules, also a result of HB1.

Director Schilk noted that one of the first changes that will be made is a renaming of Operating Standards to "Standards for School Districts and Schools - Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade."

More information about the changes in Operating Standards will soon be available on the ODE's web site.

-Presentation on Options Academy - Wokini:  Bob Sommers, CEO/Superintendent of Butler Tech, and Laura Sage, principal of Wokini, presented information about the Options Academy-Wokini, a grade 9-12 alternative school operated by Butler Technology and Career Development Schools for the Lakota Local School District.

Wokini is one of only three programs nationally to receive the 2009 National Dropout Prevention Network's "Crystal Star Award of Excellence in Dropout Recovery, Intervention, and Prevention.

The Academy develops a personalized education program for each student; supports the social-emotional development of students; provides blended classrooms that include online and teacher-led instruction; and requires students to participate in service learning projects in order for students to become engaged in the community.

Nearly half of the students who have completed the program go on to college, and many students graduate early.

-Update on Content Standards Revision:  The deadline to submit feedback on the revision of academic content standards in social studies and science has been extended to January 21, 2010.  So far

719 individuals have commented upon the revised standards, including

597 teachers.

CAPACITY COMMITTEE

-Information Technology Centers Rules:  The Capacity Committee, chaired by Rob Hovis, approved an updated version of Ohio Administrative Code Rules 3301-3-01 to -07 - Information Technology Centers. The changes align the rules with current state law, and the federal c-Rate program.

-Community School Sponsor Rules:  Committee members discussed the proposed changes to the Community School sponsor rules, 3301-102-01 to -07.  These changes align the rules to Am. Sub. HB 1, and provide more clarity regarding the roles and responsibilities of community school sponsors in the areas of authorization and oversight.

Discussion about these rules will continue in February 2010.

-Diversity Strategies Policy:  The State Board of Education and the Ohio Department of Education are working with the Buckeye Association of School Administrators and the Kirwan Institute at the Ohio State University to develop a comprehensive list of options to inform school assignment decisions and align school assignment with current federal and state laws. The Capacity Committee will receive a presentation regarding this effort in May 2010.

-Service Provider Ratios:  This discussion was tabled until February 2010.

-Evaluation of Ohio Coaches:  The committee requested that the Ohio High School Athletic Association continue to partner with the ODE to create units in the Ohio specific section of the National Coaches Exam.  The Committee will also explore ways to monitor the success of the coaches' exam and other training requirements for coaches in Ohio.

SCHOOL FUNDING PRESENTATION

The Board received a presentation about the state's education budget from Kelly Weir, Director of the Office of Budget and Planning, Kim Murnieks, Executive Director of the Center for School Options and Finance, and Carey McDonald, School Funding Advisory Council Coordinator.  This was the first informational session designed to inform Board members about the process used to develop and approve the FY12-13 budget for education. Informational sessions on transportation and the Educational Management Information System

(EMIS) will be presented next month.

The presentation included information about the evidence-based model

(EBM) and an update on the work of the School Funding Advisory Council.

A powerpoint presentation on the current budget for K-12 education highlighted the changes that have been made as a result of the passage of Am. Sub. HB 1, the FY10-11 budget.  The new evidence-based model replaces the per-pupil funding/building blocks methodology used in previous state budgets.  However, due to budget constraints, the new model will be phased-in over ten years.

The evidence-based model provides state funds to schools through the following categories:  the number of teachers needed to provide instruction for certain types of students; per pupil for instructional materials, operations, and maintenance; per school district for administrators; and per organizational unit. An Educational Challenge Factor is also included to adjust state funding for school districts to account for the impact of socioeconomic factors on the cost of educating certain students.

Kim Murnieks led Board members through the new Pathway to Student Success (PASS) form, which replaces the SF3 form, and provides a summary of state resources for each school district.

There was also a discussion about the Expenditure and Reporting rules that are currently being developed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The rules for reporting cannot go into effect before FY2011, and the rules for expenditures cannot go into effect before FY2012.

NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS

The Board recognized the following National Blue Ribbon Schools:

Butler Elementary School, Clear Fork Valley Local School District Central Primary Elementary School, Logan-Hocking Local School District Chagrin Falls Intermediate School, Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District Columbiana High School, Columbiana Exempted Village School District Fairhope Elementary School, Louisville City School District Horizon Science Academy, Cleveland Jackson High School, Jackson Local School District Chagrin Falls Intermediate School, Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District Lake Cable Elementary School, Jackson Local School District Olentangy Liberty High School, Olentangy Local School District Seton Catholic School, Hudson South Lebanon Elementary School, Kings Local School District St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland St. Joseph School, Cuyahoga Falls St. Michael School, Sharonville St. Paschal Baylon School, Highland Heights St. Veronica Elementary School, Cincinnati Watson Elementary School, Austintown Local School District Willard Grizzell Middle School, Dublin City School District

21st CENTURY LEARNING SUBCOMMITTEE

21st Century Learning Subcommittee, chaired by Steve Millett, discussed the concept of 21st Century Learning Skills, and the responses of subcommittee members to the following questions:

-What does the concept "21st Century Learning Skills" mean and entail in the Ohio context?

-What values and principles should guide the development and implementation of Ohio's 21st Century Learning Skills initiative?

-Why is it essential (critical, important) that Ohio pursue the 21st Century Learning Skills initiative?

-What does a 21st Century learning environment look like in the Ohio context? What types of resources are essential to supporting a 21st Century learning environment?

-What systemic issues need to be addressed to ensure that candidates for Ohio's educator licenses are prepared to succeed in Ohio's classrooms?

-What State Board and ODE policies need to be developed or revised to reflect the Board's position related to 21st Century skills?

The subcommittee also heard a presentation by Dr. Jillian Darwish on the KnowledgeWorks Foundation's Map of Future Trends Affecting Education.  The map was prepared for KnowledgeWorks by the Institute for the Future, and provides a way to assess how much the world is changing, and how those changes will affect public education. Each element on the map represents forces that could affect learning in the next decade. To learn more about the map please visit http://www.kwfdn.org/map/

ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH SUBCOMMITTEE

The Advocacy and Outreach Subcommittee, chaired by John Bender, discussed which education groups would be invited to present to the State Board of Education during the months of February, March, April, and May regarding the FY12-13 education budget. Susan Haverkos requested that the subcommittee invite the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and after some discussion the subcommittee agreed. The following educational associations will be invited to present to the

Board:

January:  BASA and the Ohio Educational Service Centers

February:  Ohio School Boards Association and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials

March:  OEA and OFT

April:  The Ohio Association of Gifted Education; Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities; Ohio Congress of Parents and Teachers; and the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education.

May:  Catholic Conference of Ohio; School Choice, Inc.; Ohio Coalition for Quality Education; and the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

The subcommittee also received an update on legislative activity, including a summary of the following bills that were approved by the General Assembly and signed into law in December 2009:

-HB 318 (Sykes) tax freeze

-HB 290 (Bubp) Jr. ROTC:  As introduced HB290 included Junior ROTC as a permitted Ohio Core "elective course", and permitted boards of education to excuse students participating in Junior ROTC students from two years of physical education.  The bill was amended in the Senate to include some provisions originally introduced in HB370 (Garrison), SB180 (Husted), and SB207 (Sawyer).

HB290 now permits the Department of Education and the Chancellor of the Board of Regents to establish a longitudinal student data system; extends for six months the deadline for certain school districts that have been allocated a share of federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act interest-free school construction bonds for school facilities to approve bonds and tax levies to secure the districts'

share of state-assisted classroom facilities projects; clarifies the conditions under which a community school must close for poor academic performance; specifies conditions under which a certain community school may obtain a new sponsor; and makes the operations of the Harmon Commission contingent upon the decision of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the availability of funds.

-HB19 (Harwood) Dating Violence, which requires boards of education to adopt a dating violence policy; include dating violence education in their health education curriculum; clarifies the conditions under which a community school must close for poor academic performance; and revises the criminal offenses that disqualify school bus drivers for employment.

The subcommittee also discussed SB 126 (Fedor) Cyberbullying; HB 373

(Carney) and SB 210 (Coughlin) Nutritional Standards and Expanded Physical Education Requirements; HB 305 (Newcomb) GED testing; and HB

293 (Yates) Comprehensive Sex Education.

BUDGET COMMITTEE

The Budget Subcommittee, chaired by Dennis Reardon, discussed the committee's role in the budget process and the stakeholder input schedule. (See Outreach Subcommittee report above for details of the Stakeholder Schedule.) Invited stakeholders have been asked to share information about the top issues facing their organizations, and their budget priorities for FY12-13. The subcommittee also discussed the types of information that they need to make decisions about the state budget recommendations, and discussed the Board's previous stance against "earmarking" certain line items in the ODE's budget.

MEETING ON JANUARY 12, 2010

The Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and the Ohio Educational Service Centers Association (OESCA) presented to the Board information about the issues facing their organizations and their budget priorities for FY12-13.

*Representing BASA was Kirk Hamilton (BASA Deputy Executive Director), Debbie Finkes (Superintendent of Clark-Shawnee), and Jeff Weaver (Superintendent from Upper Arlington).

According to their presentation, BASA's members believe that school districts will need time, resources, and flexibility to carry out school funding reform. The expectations for implementing the evidence-based model (HB1) must be clear and realistic. There also must be support in the evidence-based model for central office support staff.  Currently the model provides funding for an administrator and treasurer.

The presenters believe that the next state budget poses a number of challenges.  BASA members are grateful for the efforts made by the General Assembly and the governor to preserve funding for K-12 education, but understand the deficits the state is facing in the future.  Policy makers and educators must work together to make sure that students continue to have the best opportunities possible under the circumstances.

Regarding Race to the Top, BASA members are, in general, excited about the opportunities available through RttT. In many cases working through the RttT application process has helped build better relationships within school districts.  There is a concern about the capacity of school districts to implement RttT requirements. BASA members hope that the ODE and the US DOE will be sensitive about the number of mandates and the lack of resources to implement new requirements.

*Representing the Ohio Educational Service Centers Association were Craig Burford, OESCA Executive Director; Brian Rockhold, Allen County ESC; Will Koren, Medina County ESC; and Dick Murray Muskingum Valley ESC.

Craig Burford reviewed with the Board a number of trends that have affected Educational Service Centers in Ohio.  These include decreased appropriations in the state budget; decreased grant-based funding; increased costs for facilities; loss of eligibility to participate in the Medicaid School Plan; modest reductions in statutory responsibilities; increased district choice; limited use of the Regional Service Delivery System, etc.  In addition, there are a number of issues concerning ESC closures, transfers, distribution of assets and student records, and representation on ESC Boards, etc.

Presenters noted that overall ESCs are unclear about what services the state wants them to provide, and how their successes will be measured. Each ESC provides services based on school district needs, and so they are not uniform across the state. The Allen County ESC, for example, provides a number of services to 216 school districts; the Medina County ESC serves a limited number of school districts, and provides enrichment services, such as gifted coordinators, curriculum consultants, and distance learning through the University of Akron, etc.; the Muskingam County ESC provides distance learning to districts and 24 other states; provides services to help districts understand data; and provides Care Teams to improve school environment, etc.

Board members responded to the presentations with a number of questions, and thanked the presenters for filling in the details about their organizations, their role in Ohio's education system, and their priorities for the FY12-13 state budget.

BUSINESS MEETING

The State Board of Education's business meeting included a report from the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Deb Delisle; no public participation on agenda items; and Board action on the report and recommendations of the Superintendent.  (Action on resolutions is included below.)

The Board then considered old business and new business, and accepted public participation from Mrs. Shirley Cotter.

Before adjourning the Board received reports from the Governor's Early Childhood Advisory Board, the Advocacy and Outreach Subcommittee, and the 21st Century Learning Subcommittee.

Board members also discussed how to encourage members of Ohio's Congressional delegation to support Ohio's Race to the Top application, and agreed to make personal contacts with members of Congress coordinated by the ODE.

Board members also agreed to sign the letter that will be submitted by the President of the State Board of Education in support of Ohio's RttT application.

The Board then adjourned.  The next State Board of Education Meeting will be held on February 8-9, 2010.

RESOLUTIONS

*Approved six personnel resolutions and the following:

*Approved #3 - Resolution of Intent to Amend Rule 3301-51-05 of the Ohio Administrative Code, Procedural Safeguards.

*Approved #8 - Resolution to Rescind and Adopt Rules 3301-25-01,02,05 and 07 of the Ohio Administrative Code, and to Amend Rules

3301-25-03,04 and 08 of the Ohio Administrative Code regarding educational aide permits.

*Approved #9 - Resolution to Amend Rules 3301-31-01 to 3301-32-11 of the Ohio Administrative Code, and to Rescind and Adopt Rule

3301-32-12 of the Administrative Code, and to Rescind Rule 3301-31-13 of the Administrative Code regarding School Child Programs.

*Approved #10 - Resolution to Adopt a Four-Year and a Five-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the Purpose of Determining Whether All Local Educational Agencies, Public Elementary Schools, and Public Secondary Schools Make Adequate Yearly Progress.

*Approved #11 - Resolution to Adopt New Praxis II Subject Assessments and Qualifying Scores for Licensure.

*Approved #12 - Resolution to Appoint Lynn Grimshaw to the State Library Board.

*Approved #13 - Resolution to Accept the List of Best Practices for Improving Parental Involvement in Schools.

*Approved #14 - Resolution authorizing the Superintendent of Public Instruction to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chancellor of the Board of Regents to develop an education data repository.

6) Policy Brief:  The Center for Community Solutions, John Begala Executive Director, issued a policy brief on January 7, 2010 entitled "State Fiscal Relief has Helped Ohio. Congress must consider additional assistance to states in any jobs package to ensure that the recovery takes hold", by Emily Campbell.

According to the Brief, federal funds from the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) have preserved thousand of jobs in Ohio during this recession. Ohio will receive approximately $4.8 billion, which has been used to support Medicaid ($3.01 billion); education

($1.46 billion); and general government services ($326 million Fiscal Stabilization Fund). If not for the infusion of these federal funds, the state would have needed to cut an additional $650 million from the FY09 budget, or find additional revenue.

The Brief supports recommendations urging the White House and Congress to provide additional state fiscal relief in order to stimulate job growth and make an economic recovery possible in Ohio.

For example, Ohio has the fifth largest Medicaid program in the nation. Approximately one billion in Medicaid dollars are infused into the Ohio economy each month. These dollars have a significant impact on Ohio's economy, which supports over 207,000 in the health care industry.

The brief notes, "The sectors most likely to be impacted by additional state fiscal relief-Education, Health Services, and Government-are critically important to Ohio's prosperity. These industries alone account for more than one quarter of all employment in Ohio. Education and Health Services is the only sector projected to grow during the next two years. By the end of 2010, more than 822,000 Ohioans are expected to be employed in this industry.4"

To read more please visit

http://www.communitysolutions.com/store/index.asp?DEPARTMENT_
ID=88

7)  News from the ODE: The Ohio Department of Education's Ides of ODE for January 15, 2010 includes the items below.  To review the complete Ides of ODE, please visit

http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=1368&Content=79731

*The deadline to review and submit feedback about the draft social studies and science standards has been extended to January 21, 2010.

The public is urged to review the standards and provide feedback using an online survey posted at

http://survey.education.ohio.gov/se.ashx?s=60DA7270203CAE05

The ODE has developed resources and tools to provide information about the standards and facilitate discussion and feedback.  For more information please visit

http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.
aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1696&ContentID=66295&Content=77137

*Districts are required by SB311 to phase in credit flexibility provisions this school year, and to have a district credit flexibility policy in place for the 2010-2011 school year. The legislation's intent is to broaden the scope of curricular options available to students.  Information about credit flexibility is available on the ODE website at http://www.education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.
aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1427&ContentID=61432.

*Applications are now available for the Ohio Global Institute, which will be held on August 3-5, 2010 at The Ohio State University. This three-day institute for teachers in grades K-12 provides opportunities to share best practices in international education; obtain new resources and tools for incorporating international content across curricula; and develop action plans for their classrooms and schools.

The Institute is funded in part through a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundations and is presented collaboratively by the Ohio Department of Education; the Ohio Geographic Alliance; the Gerald H. Read Center at Kent State University; The Ohio State University's Office of International Affairs, and the Wexner Center for the Arts and Area Studies Centers.

Ohio teachers of English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, world languages, career programs or technology in grades K-12 may apply. The registration fee is $100, and the application deadline is March 20, 2010.

To register, please visit

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/globalinst2010app. For more information, contact outreach@oia.osu.edu.

8)  Bills Introduced

SJR9 (Coughlin) State Lottery;  Authorizes the state lottery to be operated by a private entity and authorizes the net profit of the state lottery to be used for scholarships for Ohio residents who are students at institutions of higher education in Ohio.

SB224 (Coughlin) Lottery and Turnpike Agreements: Establishes the Ohio Promise Scholarship Program; authorizes the Department of Administrative Services to negotiate the sale or lease of the right to manage and operate the State Lottery; authorizes the Department to negotiate a public-private lease agreement for the operation of the Ohio Turnpike; requires the proceeds from the Lottery and Turnpike agreements to be paid into the Ohio Promise Scholarship Program Fund; and abolishes the Ohio Turnpike Commission upon the transfer of control of the Ohio Turnpike to a private entity.

HB407 (Zehringer) School Calamity Days:  Allows school districts and STEM schools to make up excess calamity days by requiring students to complete lessons posted online.